Shloka 49
भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal
आर्ष्यशद्धिं महेष्वासं मायाविनमरिंदमम् | वैरिणं भीमसेनस्य पूर्व बकवधेन वै
ārṣyaśṛṅgiṁ maheṣvāsaṁ māyāvinaṁ arindamam | vairiṇaṁ bhīmasenasya pūrvaṁ bakavadhenavai ||
Rākṣasa itu adalah Alambuṣa, putra Ṛṣyaśṛṅga—seorang pemanah agung, mahir dalam tipu daya maya, dan sanggup menundukkan musuh. Karena dahulu Bhīmasena membunuh Baka, Alambuṣa pun menjadi musuh bebuyutannya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear can quickly turn into rage and drive one toward ethically fraught choices—here, seeking a māyā-skilled rākṣasa ally. It also underscores karmic continuity: earlier deeds (Bhīma’s slaying of Baka) generate enduring enmities that resurface in later conflicts.
After seeing his side being cut down, Duryodhana panics and then, in anger, rushes to enlist Alambuṣa—a powerful, illusion-wielding rākṣasa archer—who bears a personal grudge against Bhīma because of Bhīma’s earlier killing of Bakāsura.